90 Key Texts
90 Key Texts is a curated list of texts recommended by the TDM faculty as essential for our understanding of performance, both contemporary and historical. By no means “required reading,” this list, rather, is expressive of the diversity of interests and expertise of our faculty, and so a good place to check in as you begin new projects, audition new classes, or discuss ideas with your peers and advisors.
The names of recommending faculty are included in each listing, if you care to follow up and further your exploration of these ideas.
The texts here are organized into three categories: Theory, History and Practice (Topics in practice range from acting, design, directing and dramaturgy to management, technical theater and health and safety guides for the theater.)
What is a Text?
While, in many humanities-based concentrations, the word "text" is used to refer primarily to the written word, that definition is expanded in Theater, Dance and Media (and other creative/practice-based fields) to include "texts" in other media, ranging from video archives of performances, dance and musical notation, audio recordings, documentary and narrative film along with more traditional written texts in history, theory and practice.
Visiting Artist Paul Lazar Recommends...
Breaking the Rules: The Wooster Group by Through interviews and descriptions of methodology, Breaking the Rules captures the essence of major works by the internationally acclaimed avant-garde company.
American Avant-Garde Theatre by This stunning contribution to the field of theatre history is the first in-depth look at avant-garde theatre in the United States from the early 1950s to the 1990s. American Avant-Garde Theatre offers a definition of the avant-garde, and looks at its origins and theoretical foundations by examining: *Gertrude Stein *John Cage *The Beat writers *Avant-garde cinema *Abstract Expressionism *Minimalism There are fascinating discussions and illustrations of the productions of the Living Theatre, the Wooster Group, Open Theatre, Ontological-Hysteric Theatre and Performance Group. among many others. Aronson also examines why avant-garde theatre declined and virtually disappeared at the end of the twentieth century.
